Initium
by CasusFere
Summary: Riddick-Forgotten Realms crossover. Sequel to "From Beyond the Sky." The survey team left something behind. Rated for Mandier's foul mouth.
1. Initium

A/N – hey, y'all, it's Casus Fere, bringing you another piece of insanity… Sequal to "From Beyond the Stars" If you haven't read that, you'll be insanely confused. Just warning you. Fic went on an account migration.

0-0-0

Rasien watch the metal contraption vanish into the sky, leaving behind scorched grass, pile boxes, and three corpses. _Does it count as four when one is in two pieces?_ Almost sheepishly, he cleaned the greatsword and sheathed it. "Well, that was… interesting."

"Interesting! I'm sure it was _interesting_ for _you_, Sir Righteous Ass! You're not the one they shot with that… device!" Mandier was in a bad mood. He seemed to really hate getting shot, stabbed, burned, _...dumped in acid…_or in any way injured. He had a tendency to become irrational when hurt, and take it out on the nearest unfortunate. By the looks of the remains, today's victim had been very dead long before the last of Mandier's spells hit. _Nevermind Jen had already put an arrow in the throat of the one who actually shot him. _

And as for Mandier himself… "Ah, the nine bloody hells! That bastard shot me! If he weren't already dead…" Rasien slid down from his warhorse, and started for the mage. "In fact, I think I'm going to find a priest, bring the bastard back and…Damn it to the Abyss, that hurts!

"Ow, damnit! Sadistic bas…Arg!" Mandier cut off as a blue glow surrounded Rasien's hands, and the mage jerked in shock as his wounds healed. Rasien kept a hold on the mage's arm until he steadied himself, still cursing under his breath. The big man kept a hold on the mage's arm until he steadied himself, still cursing under his breath

Glancing back over his shoulder, Rasien gave the rogue a sardonic look. "The God of Fashion, now? Has anyone told the Prince of Lies about his new portfolio?"

Smirking, Edbrien replied, "Did you see the_ look_ on their faces? Oh, stop frowning at me like that! It worked, didn't it?"

"Worked implies that it accomplished something. We already _knew _they were lying, my friend."

"I'm not your damn friend, Sir I-wear-a-tin-can."

"Ladies, whenever you're finished yapping, maybe you could decide what to do with that?" Jen's low voice cut into the bickering. The three companions turned to look at him, as he motioned towards the pile of strange crates.

"What about it?" snapped the mage. "It isn't like it's going anywhere."

"Not them," Jen said patiently, "Him." He pointed behind the pile. One of the shadows jerked, and vanished behind the pile again.

"Oh, one of them is still alive? This could be fun!" Mandier was still feeling vindictive, apparently.

The big paladin started toward the pile. The shadow darted out from behind, and dashed for the woods, only to be cut off by a rearing Hietech. A lanky boy with stubble for hair tried to dodge around the flailing hooves, but the warhorse danced sideways to stay in his way.

"Just a boy, Mandier. Let him be." Rasien moved to flank the boy, speaking soothingly. "Easy lad, settle down." _Not more than 15, I'd say. Still, can't have the lad getting away_.

"A boy maybe, but he was still one of _them_." Definitely still vindictive. "After all, since when did wickedness have age limits, _sir _paladin?"

Frowning, Rasien sent a silent prayer to his god. He asked Torm to grant him the vision to see the presence of evil. Focusing on the boy in front of him, he saw no such presence. Off to the side, however… "Mandier, I thought I told you to get rid of that cursed thing."

"What, just throw it away? It's _fascinating,_ Rasien!" Seeing the paladin's very unamused look, Mandier wheedled, "Besides, _I _don't know how to destroy it! What if it fell into the wrong hands? Think of the harm it could cause!"

Rasien glared. "We'll discuss this later. At length." He turned away from the sulking mage.

The boy was staring at them. His eyes cut across to the ranger. "Do they ever stop?"

The ranger's response was placid. "Nope. You get used to it." Jen paused. "You going to tell us who you are?"

"And if I don't want to?"

"Well, I could put an arrow in your throat before yon paladin could do more than protest. Then we'd just leave you in a ditch somewhere. Excellent crow food." All delivered in that same calm tone.

"The name's Jack."

"I knew you'd see reason."

0-0-0

A/N – And there it is. Ver, you owe me something yummy and chocolaty… turtle brownies come to mind! Must have fuel for next chapter! Well, that or another bout of extreme boredom. Whatever works.

Oh, yes, and remember: I'm a praise-driven demon when it comes to writing… More you say you like it, the more likely I'll update soon. Otherwise, I might actually go do my homework. God forbid. shudders


	2. The Road to Tantras

A/N: See, I haven't died. Yet. Ver, here's the next chapter, even though I didn't get my brownies. :cries:

0-0-0-0-0-0

Jack trotted after the green-cloaked ranger. "Where are we going?"

"Tantras." The reply was placid.

Jack was silent for a minute, listening to Mandier and the paladin bickering behind them. "Where's that?"

"A city," came the uninformative answer. Jen didn't even seem to notice the glare Jack was directing at his back.

"Rasien's planning on foisting you off on the church of Torm there, and hand over whatever that thing Mandier's packing around to the priests along with those tidbits he grabbed," Edbrien supplied from beside Jack.

Jen glanced back over his shoulder. "He's planning on giving them all the 'tidbits' you picked up, too," he pointed out laconically.

"Heh. He'll have to find them first, now won't he?"

"The implications of that are unappealing, Brien."

"Bite me, wolf boy."

Jack cut in before the conversation could degenerate any farther. "Who's Torm?"

"He's a god."

"Jen, do you have a vendetta against informative answers, or is it a religious thing? Torm's the God of Duty. His main church is in Tantras, so that's where we're going."

Adjusting the shoulder pack, Jack frowned. "What you don't got a god of Strange People From Other Planets?"

Brien chortled. "Several, actually. We get some rather strange visitors on occasion. You, lad, are utterly normal by comparison."

"Which actually make our new companion the strangest by far, if you think about it," commented Jen without turning around.

Behind them, the bickering volume rose. "Look, I don't see why we have to scurry off in such a hurry to destroy it! Just because it was made with less then good intentions doesn't make it evil! Your sword was meant to kill, but we're not running off to melt it down, now are we?"

"My sword isn't evil, Mandier. That … _thing_ is."

"Posh! It's just a tool! Nothing more. Besides, there's a poetic justice using the tools of evil against evil," the mage insisted.

Brien sighed. "They'll be at this for hours."

"It's evil, Mandier. It exists to create more evil. You'd be destroying one evil and replacing it with another!"

"Oh, come on! I think I'm more competent then that!"

"It's not a question of competence, my friend. 'Those who stare into the Abyss beware lest the Abyss stare back into them.'"

"Stop quoting at me! All I've heard from you is those damn quotes and nonsense."

"Nonsense or not, we're going to Tantras, and we'll be rid of that thing," Rasien snapped, effectively ending the conversation. The mage subsided into sulky silence.

Jack leaned toward Brien. "If it's such a big deal, why doesn't he just take it from Mandier?"

"He can't. Can't even touch it. It's an evil artifact, and he's a paladin; they don't mix to well."

"Should of seen it when he tried picking it up," commented Jen over his shoulder. "Landed himself some nasty burns."

"Is someone going to explain what the hell a paladin is anytime soon?"

"Which one?" asked Jen distractedly.

"Which what?"

"Which hell?"

"There's more then one?" Jack sounded confused.

"Nine, actually," Rasien answered from behind them. "And the Abyss, of course."

Brien chuckled at Jack's expression. "Paladins are holy warriors. Champions of good and right, and all that annoying crap."

"I'll remember that comment next time you get yourself stabbed."

0-0-0-0-0-0

"Jack."

"What?"

Jen took the arm load of wood from Jack. "You stink. River. Now."

Edbrien shaded his eyes, watching Jack slink off toward the river as Jen stacked firewood nearby. "So, you want to distract the fearless leader while I 'find' our friend some less conspicuous clothes?"

The ranger shot a sideways glance toward the paladin. "Between grooming his horse and ignoring Mandier's sulking, he's pretty occupied." Building up the fire, he continued, "If you time it right, they'll be back to the bickering stage when you get back."

"Hmph. Drop something in mage-boy's robes if I show up at the wrong time. Him shrieking'll keep Sir Righteous Ass from noticing any additional supplies that might wander into camp, eh?"

0-0-0-0-0-0

"For the last time, Mandier, shut up!" Rasien's patience finally snapped.

Mandier glared at the paladin's back. His jaw worked, but no sound came out. Fists clenched, the mage whirled and stalked across the camp and nearly ran into the thief.

"Oi, Mandier, take these to the lad." Edbrien shoved a bundle of cloth into the snarling mage's arms and flitted off before Mandier could retort. Wadding up the cloth, Mandier stormed towards the river.

"Boy! Decent clothes! Hurry up and put them Arg! What in the nine bloody hells!"

"Pervert! Some goddamn warning next time!"

"Arg! Mandier burst back into the camp. "That…that.."

Brien pointed the stick he'd been poking the fire with. "What's wrong with you?"

"The 'lad' my ass! That bloody _wench_ hit me in the bloody head with a bleeding rock! Oh, no… you laugh, you bloody bastard, and I'll be giving you a close-range view of a fireball!"


	3. Interlude

A/N – And lots of dialog. Hey, I had to have something to do during class. Err… don't tell my teachers. Look Ver! TWO chapters, and no brownies. :cries:

0-0-0

The fire crackled off to the side as Jack stared up at the darkened canopy of tree branches. A rock dug into her hip, and the blankets wrapped around her were scratchy. Thinking about the rock and scratchy blankets distracted her from the cold lump that had been growing in her stomach for the last two days.

"_So, this guy in Tantras can send me back?" She had plopped down next to Rasien while he unstrapped his armor._

_He undid a couple buckles before answering. "Lord Banbrax is a very wise man, and a high priest of Torm. He will commune with Torm, and know what to do with you."_

"_He can't send me home." Jack stared at the paladin. Not meeting her eyes, Rasien tugged off his bracers. "Who can?" She watched the paladin fiddle with his armor and avoid her gaze a bit longer. "Who, dammit!" _

_Rasien finally dragged his eyes up to meet hers. "I don't know." _

Across the fire, the shadows rustled, resolving into Jen. Jack closed her eyes and pretended to sleep as the ranger glanced across the camp at her.

"Mandier. Wake up." A soft thump and muffled noise that might have been a curse. "Mage-boy. Wakey-wakey. It's your watch."

The cursing gradually became more coherent, until Mandier finally managed a "Burn in the Abyss, I'm busy sleeping."

"Get up." A thunk and a startled yelp from the mage later, Mandier was up and Jen was curled up against a tree, instantly asleep.

"If you'd just get up," Rasien remarked sleepily from his bedroll, "The rest of us might be able to sleep through the start of your watch."

"Bite me." The paladin just laughed, and the camp quieted down again.

Jack opened her eyes and resumed staring at the tree branches. Out of the corner of her eye, she could make out Mandier sitting cross-legged, staring out at the darkness.

"Mandier?" she whispered, "Is there anyone who can get me off this rock? There's not, is there?"

Cloth rustled as Mandier adjusted his robes. "I can think of five mages that could send you to worlds entirely removed from ours. What I can't tell you is if any of those worlds would be any better then this one." He paused. "It's possible that one of them knows of a place that you could find one of those… contraptions."

"It's a spaceship."

"Whatever. If nothing else, there are the Spell Jammers."

"The what?"

Mandier looked smug. "The more civilized version of that flying contraption."

"Spaceship. And since when was this world civilized? Anyway, if these people can help, why aren't' we going to see them?"

The mage shot her a sardonic look. "Because, of the five of them, two are undead, one is insane, and neither Elminster or Khelben Blackstaff are likely to cast such difficult and complicated spell simply because we walk up and ask. So we go see Banbrax, and he convinces them to help us." He paused thoughtfully, watching the darkness. "Or Torm tells him to do something inconvenient, and we get to try to convince Rasien to let us try to convince Elminster to listen." He flicked a glance at her, then became utterly fascinated with a nearby tree. "Not that I care what happens to you, wench. I'm only thinking about it because it's an interesting puzzle."

"And Rasien'll drag you along, wherever we end up going."

"Well, that too."

Jack sat up and wrapped the blankets around her shoulders. "What if I said I don't believe in magic?"

Shock colored a few moments of silence. Then, "You don't believe in magic? How can you _not_ believe in magic!" He jerked his chin towards the fire. "You were standing right there when I lit that. Did you see me pull out a flint and steel? And if that… spaceship… doesn't use magic, how could it fly?"

"Physics. And just because I didn't see how you lit the fire doesn't mean it was 'magic.' There's no such thing."

Mandier sputtered. "No such thing? What are you, a lunatic? Oh, so if there's no magic, I suppose your friend from the 'spaceship' just blew himself up? And the little blue lights that came from my fingers and drilled the neat little holes in his chest were figments of my imagination, were they?"

"You had to use some sort of device." Mandier just looked at her_. I doubt these people know what a toaster is, much less a plasma rifle. How could they make guns? Rasien's the leader, and he fights with a sword!_ Jack thought in confusion. _But come on, magic?_

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Mandier spoke up suddenly, hesitation written all over his face. "But what is this… physics? Surely it has to be a form of magic."

"It's science. Like when you use a flint and steel, and it makes sparks, that's physics."

Mandier stared at her without comprehension.

"Look, that fire isn't magical, right? It doesn't use magic, it uses physics."

His face cleared instantly. "Like psionics, then. Not magic, but similar."

"Psionics?" Jack yawned.

"Powers of the mind."

"Isn't that magic, too?"

"Bah." Mandier waved a hand. "There's three forms of power normally called 'magic.' Arcane magic, the true magic that I use, divine magic that priests and our friend with the big sword over there use, and psionics, which aren't really magic at all. Arcane magic comes from the Weave, divine from the gods, and psionics, which come from the mind."

"Right." Jack felt her eyelids drooping. "What if I told you I don't believe in gods, either?"

The mage just shook his head. "Go to sleep and stop bothering me, wench." His voice was gruff, but Jack could hear a hint of… something… in it.

"Mandier…"

"What now?"

"Do you think I'll be able to get home?"

He sighed. "Why's it so important, anyway? It's not like this is such a bad place, anyway." He paused. "You have family back there?"

"None that I want to see. But I've got to get back to searching." She yawned. "I'm looking for a man, and I have to find him."

"You scare him off with your looks?"

Jack chucked a twig at the mage and curled up again.

Mandier listened to her breathing even out. He looked up at the stars, and wondered.


	4. Of Orcs and Magic

Jack woke to the cold morning air and a hand covering her mouth.

"Stay down," hissed Brien. "Stay quiet." He slid a long dagger under her hand and slipped back around the camp.

Across the dying coals of the fire, Jen was still curled up against the tree. The longbow in his hands, an arrow lying against the bowstring attested to his wakefulness. Off to one side, Rasien's hands were wrapped around the hilt of the greatsword tucked under his shoulder. Feeling Jack's gaze, he slit open his eyes and gave her a reassuring smile. Past him the big warhorse stood unnaturally still and silent.

Jack held her breath and listened, her heart thudding in her ears. Each moment seemed to stretch into eternity before she heard it – a rustling in the brush, then a grunt. More rustling, the creak of a twig, and then a muttered voice, quickly hushed. Jen's finger's worked the arrow around and knocked it, then stilled.

_What are they waiting for!_ She thought wildly. Then they charged with guttural roars and high-pitched shrieks. Jack had an impression of green and tusks before Rasien came to his feet, bringing the greatsword over his should and opening the first attacker's head. The ranger straightened, pulled the arrow back, and released in one smooth movement, burying an arrow to its fletchings in the throat of another. Jack scrambled to her feet, long dagger in hand, as two smaller green _things_ came at her screaming.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Rasien turned smoothly and beheaded an orc armed with a crude spiked club. Off to one side, he could hear Mandier chanting. He couldn't see Jen or Brien, but the arrows attested that the ranger, at least, was still up. A pitted sword bit into his bicep, and another traced a line of fire down his leg. He slashed at one orc, and ended impaling it when it lunged. The paladin nearly dropped the sword as the sheer weight of the orc dragged it down.

A flash out of the corner of his eye, and an axe was coming at his head. He ducked, knowing it wasn't enough, trying to get the sword up.

A flash of blue light and the orc staggered back, smoke rising from several holes in his chest. Hietech's hooves caved in the monster's head, and he crumpled.

Rasien tugged his sword free and spun to see Jack, pale but determined, fending off a goblin with a bloody dagger, a second goblin on the ground at her feet. There was Brien, running up behind the goblin to help. One second too slow.

Unknowing of his death approaching from the rear, the goblin lunged, screaming gibberish. Jack tried to twist out of the way, but the spear caught her in the side, driving deep.

A quick glance around the campsite showed the only enemies still standing were fleeing into the forest, pursued by arrows and one annoyed warhorse.

"Rasien! Get over here, the wench is hurt!"

Hopping an orc corpse, he dropped to one knee next to Jack. Brien hauled the dead goblin off her legs, its throat slit from ear to ear. Rasien gave the wound a cursory examination, then took hold of the spear still stuck in her side. Glancing up at the mage, curiously pale, he ordered, "Hold her down. I can't push this through, so it's got to be pulled out." Setting one knee on her ribcage just above the wound, he took a firm hold off the spear, and pulled, gritting his teeth as Jack screamed.

Chucking the crude spear – thankfully intact- aside, he noticed with a detached curiosity Mandier expression_. Flinched a bit at that, my friend. Huzzah, I knew you had a soft spot, no matter what you pretend. _He spread his hands over the wound, murmuring a prayer to Torm, the blue glow of healing surrounding his hands.

A _thunk_ announced Jen's presence as the ranger booted part of an orc out of his way. "Clean up would be easier if you'd leave them in one piece." He stopped at Rasien's shoulder. "How's she?" No sign of emotion, be it concern or otherwise, colored his voice.

"She's fine. Soon as she finishes coughing up the blood in her throat, at least."

The ranger looked down at him for a moment. "You save any of that for you?"

"What?" Startled, he realized his arm and thigh were bleeding. "Doesn't really hurt yet."

Rasien sat quietly and concentrated, the cold tingling of magical healing sending a shiver down his arm, watching Mandier dote on Jack until the mage realized what he was doing, and worse, someone had been looking, and scurried off to wash his hands. Edbrien was, predictably, looting the corpses.

Jack sat up, feeling her side with a disbelieving expression. She turned to stare at Rasien for a long moment. Standing on unsteady legs, she shot a beseeching look at Mandier, silently asking for an explanation. The mage stopped in his attempt to straighten his hair to give her a superior look.

"Still don't believe in magic, eh?"


End file.
